ClassTransitions: Classroom Routines That Respect Instructional Time. Posted on September 3, 2011. I have pretty high expectations for student organization and transitions between activities. I don't want student to lose precious learning time.

Classroom Climate: This teacher makes some good points about valuing the time where children are finishing tasks or even between class changes. It is great to have things for the students to accomplish to keep that time productive, but make sure the routines the children are completing are helping them in learning and that the routines do not turn into busy work. By creating activities for the students to complete in those times, it shows the students that we want to come into class and focus on what we are going to learn that day. These activities in my classroom would inform the students of the objectives for the day and to allow them to brainstorm what they know about our topics and what they want to learn. The students need to voice their opinions and learn what is most applicable to their lives. I value student opinion and I want them to see my recognizing their competence and giving them autonomy in their learning. (ROUTINE)

I found this blog post to be extremely helpful because it provides examples of effective transitions to use in a classroom so as not to waste time or diminish students' autonomy. The examples given promote the idea that every student has a purpose, feels important, and contributes to the group as a whole. I love that collaboration is promoted through every person having a different assigned job at the table. I like the organizational strategy used here to have all the supplies stored in an organized fashion in one place and then have each student be in charge of grabbing one specific type of material for the group (one student gets the scissors, one student gets the paper, etc.). I think this is a very structured, efficient way to keep the room organized and easy-to-navigate. I also agree that having a "mentor" to oversee the other students is important because some students need more guidance and help than others. Receiving support from a peer can foster a sense of collaboration and save the teacher time from providing aid to every student individually. I find this teacher's use of technology and the Smart Board very useful and creative, as she utilized it for both attendance purposes and to guide students on how to immediately be productive when entering the room. If students can move their name themselves on the Smart Board to signify that they are present that day, it will definitely give them a sense of independence, confidence, and familiarity with technology. I also found it really important that the students in this teacher's classroom helped create guidelines and consistently have the chance to articulate their opinions and give feedback to the teacher. These opportunities align with the Whole Child Tenets because they help students feel engaged and supported in their environment if they have some say in the matter and can have their voices heard.

Positive Behaviors: Students are more willing to follow classroom norms and work cooperatively with peers. Engagement & Risk: Learners are more likely to engage with the curriculum and ask questions. When teachers trust ...

Classroom Climate: Trust is the foundation for learning. Without trust it is hard for both the teachers and the students to acquire knowledge. The students need to trust in the teacher's abilities and feel comfortable becoming vulnerable to gain insight and learn how to apply what they learn to their everyday lives. Meanwhile, teachers need to trust that their students want to learn, are listening to them, and are capable of learning from you. In project-based learning, teachers are mentors for students, but they have trust that the children will stay on task given the autonomy to select a topic and create research questions. Through trust, a classroom community can form that is inviting and comfortable. Students will be more willing to listen to the teacher and invest time in learning because they know that the teacher cares about their learning and is invested in their success. (NORMS)

Classroom Climate: I found it helpful to look through and see the positive and negative aspects of each type of seating arrangement. It helped me to think of how I want to arrange my students. I think for project-based learning it is better to have the students in groups or teams so they can collaborate and work together. In the physical spaces of my classroom I want the students to feel comfortable, cozy and safe. I think sitting around other people can make learning more comfortable because students can ask each other questions to further their understanding before asking the teacher for more assistance or explanation. (SPACE)

Seating arrangement of desks in a classroom can have a big impact on the environment and student behavior. Here is one seating arrangement idea that works great for group learning and instructional time.

Classroom Climate: I liked how the teacher described the importance of the students facing each other while each having access to the board. This set up is in line with project-based learning because it promotes collaboration and group learning. In addition, having the supplies in the center makes it easier for children to get what they need without having to move all around the room. (SPACE)

Classroom Climate: This article does a great job of walking a teacher through the steps of creating a project-based learning friendly environment. It really emphasized arranging the room for group activities and to set the tone through the set up of the classroom. (SPACE)

Classroom Climate: I want to be the best teacher I can be and that means I need to do my homework. This article stressed the importance of knowing what I value in my job and my goals for educating students. I need to have a goal to drive me to improve towards. I liked how this article promotes learning from colleagues, looking at the different ways people teach in order to discover my style. Finally, the article emphasized how teachers need to know how to constantly adapt to your student's every changing needs! This article makes sure I am in the right mindset in order to teach to the whole child and satisfy their full needs for learning. (NORM)

Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from Thinking Through Project-Based Learning: Guiding Deeper Inquiry by Jane Krauss and Suzie Boss. It was published this month by Corwin.

Take a moment an (Classrooms as learning adventure spaces.

Take a moment and imagine a creative work environment. Don't worry about the kind of work going on. Just focus on the space. Close your eyes and picture it. What is that space like? What does it sound like? How are people interacting? Is there movement? Is there evidence of work in progress? Is it tidy, or busy-messy? Can you imagine working there?

Now, go to the article and see if your mental picture anything like either of the workspaces shown in the photos.

Classroom Climate: This article fits in well with Project Based Learning. I liked how it went through and made the reader imagine their idea of a classroom. It is important to know the kind of classroom you want, while also making sure that idea can involve project based learning. (SPACE)

When I speak to teachers about classroom organization, my number one tip is to purge anything that is not needed in your learning environment. Simply put, the less you have the less you have to organize.

Classroom Climate: This article really inspires me to make my classroom more paper free. I think this generation of students have a high understanding of technology and it is so highly integrated into their daily lives. As teachers, we need to foster our student's use of technology and provide them with safe sites that can help them pursue their interests. Using technology to engage both the students and teachers is a great way to make an impact on the child's educational career. This article has great ways for trying to engage parents into the learning process and to create a modern classroom that best benefits the students of today. In addition, I believe these practices support project based learning because it promotes children exploring technology and seeking information they are interested in learning more about. Teaching internet safety in school can transfer to their home time and allow students to enhance their knowledge in their free time in a safe way. (SPACE)

This video really connected to our class discussions about resilience. We do not know what the future holds, what jobs will be like, or what skills our students will need. Therefore, we need to teach them how to be resilient. Let them know it is okay to make mistakes as long as you can learn from them! Great video!

I really enjoyed Dr. Goldstein's video that I rescooped from Dr. Bote's page.

This video helped explain what resilience is and how to ensure our students leave school with resilience, an aspect of global competency. Dr. Goldstein put resilience in a real-world context.

In order for students to be resilient, they must overcome the idea that, "A good day is a day when bad things don't happen." As a teacher, I want to highlight the benefits of adversity to my students. Pyschological research shows children who overcome "bad things" develop coping skills for future negative experiences.

The point is NOT to find whats wrong and to fix it. During my journey to become a teacher, I realized I will not be able to fix every problem that my students have. And that is a good thing. They are supposed to create solutions to these problems themselves. Project based learning is a great way for children to create solutions to problems that are relevant to them.

I really liked this video because it showed me first hand how project based learning can works in a younger aged classroom. It really is dependent on the interests of the students and I like how this school takes the student's interests and runs with it. I would have never thought about teaching students about Brazil and saying, "Let's go there". They actually created a plane to go to Brazil for pretend. They had airport workers who stamped passports, flight attendants, pilots, and passengers. It was cool to see how easily a teacher can incorporate the subject areas and curriculum into a project the students want to do. I loved the creativity I saw in this video and it helped me see how I can make my future classroom fun and engaging for my students.

Edutopia: Run by the George Lucas Foundation, Edutopia focuses on K-12 education but offers a plethora of evidence-based teaching strategies for all levels and disciplines. BIEPBL: Videos from the Buck Institute of Education, ....

I liked this article because a lot of times it is hard to see how Project Based Learning connects to the curriculum and standards the teachers are expected to teach their students. This article breaks down the five key considerations that go into the creation of a project in project based learning.

I really liked this article because it talks about how to get started with PBL in the classroom. I certainly am nervous about understanding how to apply PBL in my future classroom and the task not be too daunting. This article provides good tips to consider when starting to implement PBL in the classroom!

This is a short article that is a good introduction to PBL, and a good reminder that you may not be able to achieve everything you want in the first instande - implications for teaching in general not just PBL.

Classroom Climate: This poster gives a positive meaning to the classroom expectations. Rules are usually seen as something negative and annoying that students have to follow or consequences follow, but this poster makes you proud to be part of this community. The use of the word "we" makes the class feel like a family or a community that has a united front on these points. Each sentence is inspiring: we celebrate each other's success, we read, we are a team, we learn from our mistakes, we respect each other, and we try our best. In each of these statements it keeps students accountable, but the way the expectations are presented make students want to be described as belonging to this group. The poster allows the students to identify themselves with the poster and strive to act in that way. This poster fosters the idea of resilience, especially in the ideas of learning from our mistakes, celebrating other student's successes, and trying our best. It is important for children to not get discouraged when they mess up because that is part of learning. Even with hurting people's feelings it is important to recognize what you did wrong, apologize, and most importantly is to learn from the mistake and change your ways in the future. (NORMS)

Classroom norms are the established and expected behaviors of students in a classroom and overall learning community, such as their school. Classroom norms are a great way to explain to students what is expected of them without giving them a list of rules to follow. One of the greatest benefits of using classroom norms is that norms can be extended to situations outside of the classroom as well, like at home or in their community. Using norms like "we learn from our mistakes" and "we respect each other" applies to more than just the lives of students in school. These are important norms for children to follow no matter where they are. Presenting them with norms that apply to their daily lives will improve their understanding and acceptance of why we need to behave in certain ways, as opposed to giving them a list of rules that only applies to their behavior in their classrooms, such as "you must stay seated at all times" or "you must raise your hand to speak". Rules such as these limit students creativity and prevent them from expressing themselves freely. If students internalize these norms they will not need specific rules to follow, because the norms incorporate all sorts of rules inside of them. In my future classroom, I would like my students and I to create a list of norms to follow together and I would display them similarly to the photo above, such as on a bulletin board. The norms that I would choose for my classroom would vary depending on the grade level that I was working with, but some might include respecting yourself and others property, using kind words, treating others as you would like to be treated, and cooperating with your peers and helping each other learn. Establishing norms such as these will not only help my classroom run smoothly, but they will better prepare my students for their futures and help to create students that are motivated to learn and take ownership over their educations.

Classroom Climate: This article provides many examples of classroom routines that can help create positive attitudes in students. I think the index card idea with the short term goals puts learning in the student's hands and requires them to take charge of what they want to learn and how they hope to acquire that knowledge. It also helps the students to focus on learning not on their grades. The index cards would be a daily routine as they come into the classroom in the mornings. It fits in with project-based learning because the teacher is giving the students control over their goals and setting their own expectations for learning. (ROUTINES)

It’s that time. The nametags, the desk arrangement, the classroom book collection, and a cadre of other concerns fill hours, days, even weeks before school begins. Many teachers approach classroom arranging and decorating as if a royal wedding were imminent.

Classroom Climate: This article makes me want to jump up and get to work thinking about these questions and how I plan on running my own classroom. It is important to teach the whole child and know how to make a connection in each child that will allow him/her to desire taking risks in learning and striving to learn not just get the grades. I loved the question "How will you create and maintain an atmosphere that welcomes error as a gateway to learning?" I have grown up and put so much pressure on myself to be perfect and if I get a bad grade on an assignment and am upset and I become even more critical of myself. This is not something I want my students to feel. Therefore, I need to learn how to allow myself to make errors and know it is all in the process of learning. Learning is messy and not always easy. If students can feel comfortable with being able to make mistakes then further risk taking can take place and a deeper level of knowledge can be attained. I loved this article and it motivates me to be that supporter for each child keeping in mind some new questions I otherwise might not have ever considered. (NORM)

It can be intimidating to try something new in your classroom. This is especially true with technology. I believe that technology should make the work of teachers easier while creating an environment that excites and engages students. Even though I'm coming from an iPad classroom, these structures and routines are great for introducing all one-to-one devices.

Classroom Climate: This article showed me important details on implementing technology into the classroom. It stressed how to ease into applying technology into the class and how for teachers to teach students the proper way to handle the electronics they get to use. When thinking of project-based learning, there needs to be a strong implementation of technology for students to use for project research and further exploration. Since this generation is so technology driven it is important to teach students how to use technology safely. (ROUTINE)

Classroom Climate: This article really enhanced the physical spaces of the classroom. It is important to make students feel comfortable in the classroom and be able to have different spaces for different tasks. These classroom ideas really take advantage of the spaces in the classroom and it keeps all the resources accessible for the students to find when they need them. I especially liked the low table and the colorful rug. It is important to make the classroom bright and cheery and youthful in order to keep the students excited about learning. In regards to project-based learning, these classroom ideas help to keep the classroom open for learning and for students to take advantage of the resources in the classroom for further learning and research. (SPACE)

CLASSROOM CLIMATE PLAN: I really like how this classroom is set up. The physical climate is inviting and caters to different students' seating preferences. There are cozy chairs, pillows on the floor, tables for partner and group work, and a large space for use for games, sitting on the carpet, and doing large things on the floor. Large open spaces are good for versatile use, especially because PBL incorporates a variety of activities. In addition, there is a variety of technology and organizational techniques. I think traditional desk can be restraining for students and having alternative seating options, and the routine of having students choose their seating based on their needs is really great for emphasizing the whole child tenants. The fact students are able to decide for themselves what works best for them is something I really like.

I really liked that everything in the classroom seems like it was accommodated for the student's well being; the tables were lowered to "kid size" and no space really seems to be wasted for any unknown reason. Everything is set up for a specific reason. The concept of alternative seating was really interesting to me, because growing up, we always were placed in assigned (and uncomfortable) seats, and maybe only switched around once or twice throughout the year. The teacher in this article allows her students to sit on the floor while they do work, read standing up by the book shelves, and so on. By giving them the autonomy (to a certain extent) to do work in a way that will work for them, the teacher is creating a fun and successful classroom climate. Although I would really need to think about how to implement some of the ideas implemented in this article, I would really like to experiment with some of the arrangements that were included in it.

a classroom set up is always on the fore front of the mind the week before the first day of school. however, this article highlight how important the concept of "updating is". our class needs may change as our students evolve and develop as learners and a mid year update can help support success, including ideas of alternative seating. students should be able to have a classroom environment where they can choose and have autonomy. everything should have a purpose in the classroom and we shouldn't waste space.

Classroom Climate: It is important for teachers to know how their students use technology at home and what they are potentially being exposed to. We want our students to remain safe and that involves teaching safety on technology. Teachers should use technology to enhance comprehension of learning, but that cannot happen if the students do not know how to find reliable, safe sites. Lastly, giving internet safety lessons stresses the importance of the whole child and teaching them how to have interests, research more about their interests with technology, and knowing what resources are good, safe, and reliable. Students should know how to act on the internet both what information they give on the internet and where they search for information. (NORM)

Classroom Climate: This article really got me excited about creating my own classroom. I think that having an organized classroom that is easy to understand makes children feel welcome and excited to use the resources to further their learning. In addition, a lot of these ideas use everyday, inexpensive tools to create a fun and vibrant classroom. The inexpensive part is key due to the low budget the teachers have. An important part of project based learning is having open spaces for students to use for independent learning and by having a well organized classroom the children can know where everything is located and can feel the freedom to go over and use the materials and resources in the classroom to aid their research and understanding. Overall, this is a great resource to use for manipulating objects to make a more inviting classroom and sparking creativity in the students to make useful organizational items for themselves at home. (SPACE)

I think that the checklist provided by this website will be extremely helpful in my future classroom. It is always a difficult task in determining whether something meets all aspects of a criteria but this checklist it will be much easier!

After watching this in class I knew I wanted to keep it as a guide to reference back to. This video helps to really answer some questions about how to implement Project Based Learning in the classroom! It shows how to learn about topics that interest the student's and have enough teacher support to keep the project running! Project Based Learning takes a lot of effort on the teacher's part, but is worth it in the end if it means a more practical understanding and application for the child!

Phase one: What do we know about worms what do we need to know about worms?

Phase two: Experiments and observations.

Each class chooses a topic to study for the semester. Then they create a display board or digital presentation and give an oral presentation.

For years we have been pumping kids full of all the information we think they need to know, but it's much more exhilarating when they are in the drivers' seat.

It's easier to teach out of a textbook when every lesson is prescribed for you. For a classroom to engage in project based learning, teachers have to be willing to work a little harder. It looks like the students are doing all the work, but the teacher has to work hard to support the students.

Test scores have improved because we have connected the project to real world learning.

A good read to learn how to connect the big themes of Global Competency and Project Based Learning! The ideas of both go hand in hand to produce a more well rounded student who can apply school knowledge to the outside world!

Education 3.0--Where Students Create Their Own Learning Experiences (Project Based Learning takes students to the next level RT: @biepbl @TeachThought http://t.co/onyjh4L8J4 #pbl #Change)...

Becca Wagman's insight:

The powerpoint presentation is a great asset to understanding education based on the 3 dimensions. This is a concept I had never thought of before but I really love! Really inspires a teacher to consider what it is they want to accomplish for a child. Why are they teaching?

This video really grabs your attention. It really moved me in a way that makes me want to jump up and learn more about Project Based Learning. It taught me how much time it takes for the teacher's to plan these projects through looking at the state standards. I liked how the students touched on the fact that they get to use their creativity when learning in Manor Technical School. I really liked the idea the teacher talked about leaving the child breadcrumbs to entice them into the project and get their brains to recognize the information they may have heard before about this topic. Overall, a great video!

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